2024 Pennsylvania general election voters' guide: U.S. House District 14

Candidates participating in this year’s general election were invited to submit information to the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, which partnered with PennLive to create this voters’ guide.

The candidates below are in contested races to represent Pennsylvania in Congress and are in the order provided by the League of Women Voters.

District 14

Chris Dziados

Party: Democratic

County: Washington

Occupation: Retired Military Officer

Education: Bachelor’s in Political Science, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Master’s in Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University

Qualifications: 1) Defense Policy Analyst, Pentagon, Washington D.C. 2018-2023 2) Military Planner for European Security, Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe, 2015-2018 3) Iraq Combat Veteran, 2x tours

Contact: dziadosforcongress.com facebook.com/dziadosforcongress

What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the country, and how would you address them?

1) Median U.S. wages have barely kept pace with inflation over the past half-century, despite a doubling of real GDP per capita over the same period. This means that working Americans are not benefiting from American prosperity. When elected, I will work to put an end to the 40-year-long attack on working families through the implementation of more equitable tax policies and worker protections.

2) Trust in government is near an all-time low, and Americans are demanding anti-corruption reforms. When elected, I will champion legislation that reins in the influence of money and lobbyists and increases accountability, oversight, and transparency of Congress.

What changes, if any, would you support that would help Congress function more efficiently and effectively?

Committees are where technical expertise is gained by committee members to inform better policy development. Yet over the past few decades, the weakening of committees has created an environment where legislation is written by party leadership and brought to vote with little to no committee consideration. When elected, I will seek to improve the development of legislation by empowering committees through 1) deconfliction of committee schedules so members can attend meetings of the committees they sit on 2) increased nonpartisan congressional research services instead of deferring to lobbyist for technical information and 3) limiting the ability of bills to be brought to the floor without adequate review by the appropriate committees.

What legislation would you support to protect voting rights and safeguard access to free and fair elections?

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would modernize and revitalize the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Supreme Court has hampered the law by gutting its preclearance provisions and by making it harder to sue to stop discriminatory practices. The John Lewis Act would strengthen the law, moving us closer to ending discrimination in voting and guaranteeing equal access to the ballot. I will work to help enact this into law when elected.

How do you view the role of the US in responding to challenges facing the international community?

The modern rules-based international world order was established with U.S. leadership. In these challenging times, with conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, and pressure from an increasingly assertive China, the world continues to rely on America for leadership. If we give up our role, other countries will be eager to take our place, and the consequences of stepping back will be much worse than the effort needed to maintain U.S. global leadership.

Guy Reschenthaler

Party: Republican

County: Washington

This candidate has not completed the 2024 general election voters’ guide.